The Border Realm

fortemaster @ 2007-11-13T16:05:00

2007-11-13T21:07:38Z

ADC-H2X Night Stalker
'Legend of Legends', 'The Winged Goddess', 'Shadow Wind'
Hunter Class (rev. 2)
Second Revision Hunter Prototype
Stealthy long-range high-manouver cybernetic armor
Named for the Avian SE-0 prototype from the Development Incident in the 2800s - in actuality, an acrophycal story, as the SE-0 was named the Night Stalker after this armor.

Optics type: 1× monoeye sensor, 2× auxilary sensors (from original Aphrodite Hunter), 2× visor sensors; lacks H1 standard H-type optics, replaced with forehead marking
IWACS type: Standard Hunter antennae ('rabbit ears' Hexa model), prototype FTL IWACS type, multimode-calibrated transmitter; extreme long range with priority equivalent to Tactician L50 (standard titleholder priority)
Engine type: 2× 'folding booster', plasmajet engines on rear unit; 2× standard leg booster, 2× braking jets in front, vernier jets ×Many
Stealth system: Active visual stealth (sourced from ATLAS ASF-01 'Kaze'), IWACS jamming at 50 teraquads per transmit, passive ferrite coating

Integrated armament: vulcan caster ×2 on forearms, micromissiles ×Many in legs, plasma caster ×1 on right collar, coredump ×1
External armament (standard): plasma/linear trimode rifle ×1, avian longsword (plasma projection type) ×1, plasma projector ×2, plasma grenade ×6 (stored in side skirt armor)
External armament (optional): artillery cannon pack (micromissiles ×many, high-yield explosive linear caster ×2; reduces stealth considerably), positron accelerator cannon ×1, pneumatic-injected flak machine cannon ×1

ADC-H3ß (ADC-H3ß-Mk.II) Hunter Beta
'Beta the Flame', 'Protagonist', 'Steel Hunter'
Hunter Class (rev. 3)
Third Revision Hunter Prototype, Candidate #2
Long-range high-manouver cybernetic armor (converted to all-range unit)
The second armor in the famous H3 Squadron.

Optics type: 2× F-type sensors (appear as orange eyes, in place of visor of Mk.I), 1× H-type optics
IWACS type: Standard Hunter antennae ('rabbit ears' Hexa model), FTL/Neutrino carrier type, multimode-calibrated transmitter; IWACS set for twinning with Hunters Alpha, Gamma, and Delta; long range with rank-determined priority
Engine type: 2× 'folding booster' plasmajets on rear unit, 2× standard leg boosters, 2× gravitic manipulation systems (in lower legs), 2× braking jets in front, vernier jets ×Many

Integrated armament: Superheated gloves ×2 (Mk.II), micromissiles ×many in legs, armor-piercing blades ×2 in feet (used with grav manipulators, Mk.II), coredump ×1
External armament (standard): Custom H2 plasma rifle (added plasmathrower mode) ×1, plasma projector ×2, nondescript longsword (plasma projection type) ×1
External armamant (optional): .44 block-chip electromagnetic-drive pistol, 50-round clip, Terran Lunar Openspace Navy standard sidearm ×2, monomonecular injection knife ×1 on right arm

ADC-V1-X91 (ADC-V1-V+) Valkyrie
'Warsong', 'Platinum Angel', 'Mother of Lenneth'
Viking Class (heavy custom)
Special ADC Development Frame
All-range heavy armor unstable-frame cybernetic armor
Named for the maidens of war of the Norse tradition.

Optics type: 2× F-type sensors (appear as yellow eyes in hemet)
IWACS type: Custom antannae (resemble portions of the Dragoon transmitter), experimental neutrino carrier type, transmit/standard dual-mode calibrated transmitter, mid-range with rank-determined priority
Engine type: 1× Tesla-coil ion drive at rear (w/wing binders ×many), 2× braking jets in front, 2× standard leg boosters, oversize unstable verniers ×many

Integrated armament: ion pulse cannon ×4 (two on each shoulder), micromissile ×many, coredump ×1
External armament (standard): high-speed ion shock rifle ×1, w/integrated pulse grenade launcher/beam-activated EMP; 2× blade (ion projection type)
External armament (optional): Viking-standard machine gun ×1, heavy sword (Gram replica) ×1, Dragoon-standard polearm ×1

A taste of what's to come

2006-12-17T18:13:38Z

Policy Control Agency
Special Imitata Division
Report on Investigation into Southwest Rainforest Fauna Activity (49:07:1024)

Suspicions of foul play by caretaker imitata have turned out to be unfounded - indeed, the caretakers told us that the fauna were being agitated by something artificial despoiling their environment.

A search team was formed, with the assistance of the caretakers. Our equipment was treated for natural operation and we left the facility at 25:4.

The wildlife was disrupted but definitely not violent. Pattern examination revealed the source of the contamination.

It was within the old Rakath ruins - normally untouched by the PCA due to the wildlife that makes its home here after almost 1000 years of decay.

It was long thought the city had been picked clean a very, very long time ago - clearly, this was not the case. We discovered a buried research lab, that of the great scientist Rihto Hikirai, creator of many an advance in imitatics. Though his advances have been superseded by nasinth construction processes, he is still remembered by the imitatics community.

It has been long known that much of Hikirai's advances were lost in the Cataclysm, and unfortunately, that won't change anytime soon - virtually all of the data storage in the lab is decayed beyond repair; and any useful devices were, of course, made useless with age.

However, the caretakers detected an aural signal beyond the range of ornith detection; when we found it, it was being emitted from deep underground by what appeared to be heavily modified stasis capsule.

It appeared to be in a diagnostic cycle; continually running tests on the central nervous system of whatever was within. The label was only 'Makina 0X' - one could only wonder what - or who - was within! It could be the last great work of Hikirai - or even Hikirai himself, survived of the Cataclysm!

The signal was not disabled, but blocked off - the caretakers wished to return it to their research lab before attempting to tamper with the devices. We have obeyed their wishes; the matter is closed on our end, as far as I am concerned.

However, on a personal note, I will be very interested to see what comes of this.

You've Got Soul

2006-12-11T04:22:05Z

Words aren't just words, really. Anyone who writes will have their own peculiarities of writing. A great deal of the time, this means relatively little in the long run. Mostly whether one can understand one another or not. But the rest of the time, those little quirks every fluent speaker and writer of English has, reveal far more about the person than one could ever imagine.

When I read the words of my friends online, I can hear their voice. The way they type their words is like the way they speak. Through the way they type, I can tell them apart. It's the peculiarities that separate them, not the vocabulary.

What's more is, the peculiarities, the quirks, the gimmicks, are what separate great writers from the rest. That's what the attraction is; what drives people to read things by a certain person in particular.

I'll be more concise. Words have a soul.

The soul of the words is what helps me know who wrote the words; helps me come up with a voice for the unknown writers and hear the voices of the known writers in my head. It drives me towards some writers and away from others, simply by virtue of the subtle nature of the English language.

Interesting, isn't it?

A Prelude to Revolution

2006-12-09T15:55:19Z

5 flights both ways per week. I seen this little corner of space so much that I think I could fly this thing with my eyes closed. 8 light-seconds, Earth to Luna. On the cosmic scale, that's barely a hiccup.

I do less than most suborbital transport pilots. Plot course, make occasional corrections so we don't crash into space rocks, and then spend the next 3 hours drinking with my co-pilot and mingling with the bluebloods in first-class.

It's only 3 hours now. These new neutrino engines are damned ingenious. I was talking with a science-type about a week ago who explained to me how it all worked. Don't know what half of it means but damn, it's a lot faster.

"See, first they figured out how to produce neutrinos. Otherwise we'd be stuck with a fuel source scarcer than oil. And as it turns out, it's actually lest costly in energy to make neutrinos massive - that is, have mass - than it is to accelerate regular matter to lightspeed. What you've got now is an engine that provides sufficient thrust to go up to near light-speed in mere hours. This doesn't help much for Luna but for Mars and Jovia, you can imagine."

Yes, damnit, I can imagine. I've always wanted to do the Jovian run. The ships that fly that run are a hell of a lot more luxurious. And the Galilean colonies are absolutely breathtaking - as my co-pilot constantly reminds me, since he's been there and I haven't.

It's not that Luna is that bad, either. But it's mostly industrial; like a city without any parks or sky. Almost all of its agriculture is imported from Earth currently, unlike the other colonies - even the Lagrange colonies have agricultural modules now, and they have a population a tenth of Luna's.

A lot of it is political - NAUTA's stranglehold on Luna's resources and operations mean that they dictate its entire economy. Luna's materials are needed for the expansion of NAUTA and Earth, apparently so much so that they must make sure they can't grow their own food or control their own politics.

Ah, what the hell. I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about what'll happen when the Lunar population decides it's had enough. We have enough destruction on our planet as it is and we aren't even at war! Officially, anyway. Everyone knows that militaries love playing with their new toys - orbital fighters, UACVs, stealth battleships, laser defense platforms. Helps justify their existence.

I had a discussion about it with someone a while back. A bit old; looks like one of the first lunaborn. Asked him about his thoughts on the war which will almost certainly come.

He was a bit cryptic, but offered me this advice. It's probably something everyone should take to heart.

"When the revolution comes, there will always be places to go; places that don't have a stake in the conflict du jour. You can't escape the horrors of war, but you can protect yourself from being destroyed by them. Keep your gun loaded, though. Eventually you might have to rebel, or destroy the rebels."

I get the sense he's a revolutionary, but I don't think he wants people to die. It's a nice dream; but NAUTA just seems adamant that no one else control Luna, not even Luna itself.

I know something, though. When the war comes and I'm out of a job, I'm heading to L3 and buying all the rum I can get. It'll help me watch the news without going crazy. Besides, I hear the weather's nice there.

<BEGIN NOTES>

The title is a reference to an event in my convoluted fictional history known as 'Futurescope', science-fictiony and everything and vaguely detailed in several time periods. Anyway, this story takes place sometime around 2100, 54 years before the Lunar Independence War, against the Unified Earth.

The narrating character is a pilot flying daily flights to Luna; currently colonized in the solar system are:

Luna (the Earth's moon; an industrial settlement that produces construction materials)
Earth orbit (mostly small 'space hotels' and military emplacements)
The 5 Lagrange Points of the Earth-Luna (The L3 point being controlled by a neutral nation; primarily for luxury purposes and agriculture)
Mars (or Ares as the locals call it; currently in the process of terraforming and largely populated by scientists)
Jovia (or Jupiter; several colonies in orbit, and outposts on 3 of the Galilean moons (Io is too unstable); its main exports are deuterium (for fusion reactors), computer systems, and extraterrestrial life samples from the Europan ocean)

As you can tell, I've overthought this.

Anyway, a glossary for certain fictional terms I've used in the story (any others should be available on Wiki being not-fictional):

Neutrino Drive - an engine using massive neutrinos to produce thrust. Not useful for fast acceleration, but its total speed and thrust produced is sufficient to propel ships to about .91c at maximum speed, more than enough to go around the solar system quickly.
NAUTA - the North American Unified Tactical Agreement, a political entity consisting of the United States, Canada (and later Quebec), Mexico, large swaths of the West Indies, and parts of Central America. Formed in 2017 after the US nearly fell to its knees from debt; the nations have a common currency and military, as well as free trade, but (in theory) are still politically independent entities. The document that formed NAUTA is known as the 'Treaty of Bermuda'.
Orbital fighter - A fighter aircraft capable of vacuum and 0G operations. Most of these were deployed in regular service starting in 2051.
Lunaborn - A human born on the Lunar colony. Many of the earliest Lunaborn are unable to return to Earth due to its higher gravity; however, with conditioning, this restriction can be reduced or eliminated.

Hope for more insanity from me in the near future!

Your friendly neighborhood writer,
Ian 'FM' McRae

Fuck You, I'm A Good Writer

2006-12-08T18:50:14Z

I have recently come to the realization that I'm a good writer.

Now, some of you, mostly those of you who have seen my writing (considering my current readership, all of you), might be asking, 'What took you so long?' And my answer is, well, having only the 'old anal bitch' type of english teacher for years doesn't help matters, and neither does getting 9/25 on the last assignment you handed in, next to unreadable and cryptic notes that supposedly explain why such a heinously low mark.

(I actually called Davidson up and complained about it. It didn't go well, but it felt good.)

The real answer is, I've been in a rut (to put it mildly). And if I'm entirely honest, I may still relapse. But I suppose I have to drag myself out of it somehow, right?

Anyway, for those of you who know me personally (all of you), this doesn't mean I'll be going back to school anytime soon. I still believe it's an utter waste of my time that could be better spent on more worthwhile things, like sleep or cutting oneself¹.

My ideas now? Perhaps backpacking so I can learn about the world somewhere else than just a desk. Learning to fly would be a good thing too. Or faking my age like Aaron and doing some freelance writing. Work on one of those stories I always talk about but never get done. Maybe combine them, like some kind of traveling-flying-writer. With a tragic theme song and a face the spitting image of Mordecai Richler.

In the immediate future I hope to post here once a day. Perhaps with actual fiction or something. And I promise none of it will be in place in a lemon².

And here, filler:

Bill Murray is now officially my favorite actor.
Evangelion is really really really good. Don't watch it.
All the female trainers in Pokemon are suspiciously curvy.
They're apparently still making Digimon stuff.
If you own a GBA, you must play Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation (and sequel). Oh, and Sigma Star Saga.
Stephen Colbert is really influential. It scares me.
Daniel Craig is win as Bond.

¹: I don't actually cut myself. That was for effect.
²: An in-joke.

An Introduction

2006-09-27T00:15:14Z

So...why am I here?

...oh, don't look at me like that. I mean here, on LiveJournal. Here, typing these things. Though, I think I know.

But then, I need to answer another question. Why do I write at all? The answer is complicated, pretentious, and filled with non-sequitors. You have been warned.

I'm a creature of fantasy. A vivid, sometimes fatal imagination is constantly at work in my mind, maintaining worlds providing me with pleasures both intellectual and base. It's described in vague terms, despite my numerous attempts to unify it.

I'm also the sum of many things. I try and take something good away from everything - a thought, a phrase, an idea, an opinion, even just a gesture. I jokingly refer to it as "stealing", and yet I rarely do it consciously.

Every day I see shades of myself in others. The Ian McRae of past, the Ian McRae of future, the Ian McRae who never was and the Ian McRae who will never be. It scares me.

I like to share things with others, though I have few to share with. I like helping others, though few accept my help. And I never forget wrongdoing, even though that may cause my downfall.

And all that comes down to writing. My desire to share, to help, and not to forget. My desire to find who I was and who I will be. My desire to expresse what I have taken from the characters in my life. And my desire to unify and describe my fantasy.

But perhaps above all else, I want to be seen, to be read, to know that someone has taken something of my thoughts. A feeling that someone has seen my work and liked it. The same reason everyone else writes, I guess. I'd like to think I'm better than most of DeviantArt, who desire to be worshipped by people who worship the mediocre just because they can't do better.

And maybe, if I write, then maybe people will take the time to consider my words for a change, rather than just hearing "wawawawawa wa wa" like the teacher from Charlie Brown.

So yeah. Read this, or don't. This is pretty self-serving and pretentious, and I can't guarantee I won't do that again, but I do plan on writing here every so often. Mostly fiction. So add me if you want to see the rest of it, and post a comment every now and then.

Oh, and there will no poetry, not now, not ever. That should be a perk. ^_~